Some Things Are Beyond Near
by Dr.Kim-chan
Summary: Near's insatiable curiosity leads to Lidner getting him a custom Ouija board, which in turns leads her, Gevanni, and Rester to endure a night none of them will forget...11/12/08: Final part up!
1. Request

Title: Some Things Are Beyond Near

By: Dr. Kim-chan

Author's Note: Just a three-parter I had the itch to write for Halloween (Happy Birthday, L!) as well as my second Death Note fic. I'm addicted, what can I say? I don't have much experience in writing horror either, so I hope this is up to snuff. Anyway, I trust you read the summary, so I won't waste your time any longer. Happy Halloween, everyone. May you eat as much candy as L!

=*=*=*=

Near's dark-gray eyes stared at the multiple computer screens, absorbing all the data he would need to make the crucial decisions he was called on to make every day, with enough mental capacity left over to let his attention wander from the screens as he dedicated his imagination to actions figures, piles of dice, once in a while consulting Roger through a computer monitor, or Commander Rester over his shoulder. Papers, manila folders, and the occasional lukewarm cup of coffee were strewn across the stainless desk surfaces. In his ears was the clicking of keystrokes from Lidner's and Gevanni's workstations.

The SPK headquarters looked no different than it did any other day, with the exception of a few changes, including the name 'SPK'. Since the all-encompassing Kira case finally came to a close a couple of years ago, the acronym was rendered useless, and with the world governments now fully aware that Near was truly meant to be the next L, the organization replaced 'K' with 'N'—the Special Provision for N.

In addition, they had also worked on gathering recruits; even with Roger's assistance, Near's burgeoning connections to the police forces and intelligence agencies of the world and their own talents, there wasn't much that Rester, Gevanni, and Lidner could do by themselves.

However, no one looking in from the outside could have noticed the change. As a new rule, only those with the most "seniority" in the SPN were allowed to have direct contact with Near, unless Near himself deemed it safe to allow others into his inner circle. As a result, unless they were out on the field the only people who were in the command center on a regular basis were Rester, Gevanni, and Lidner. Roger would come in once in a while, but for the most part he worked in a separate office, working parallel to Near.

Maybe this special position in the organization, as well as their experience gained from the Kira case, was the reason why Near seemed less cold to them, why they could read even the most subtle of changes on his face. Maybe this was why they supported him, not merely with cases but with any personal conflicts as well.

Certainly this was the reason that, aside from Near, only those three knew what happened on Halloween last year.

Most of all, it refused to leave Lidner's mind. If she knew _that _was going to happen, she would have never went out and bought the damned thing, even if it had meant losing her job…

=*=*=*=

It started on October 20th, a day as routine as any other.

Lidner had been sitting at her workstation yet again, helping Near go over an extensive list of pro-Kira sympathizers left over from the mass murderer's reign. After the public began to notice a lack of activity, they began to come to the conclusion that Kira had either been caught, killed, or had "forsaken the world", and a sudden upsurge of major crimes occurred worldwide. A majority of them were left to local police, but a rash of Kira copycats in particular had caught the attention of the SPN, and the past few months had been spent following leads, gathering information, and rounding up suspects.

Lidner's stint in the Secret Service meant she had an eye for detail, and today Near needed this particular talent to help him go over the data. Rester had been sent to the FBI on an errand, and Gevanni was directing field operations. Lidner would have also rather done something more exciting, but she squelched this selfish attitude. Anything to help Near was of value.

Even now, something was catching her attention.

Once in a while she kept an eye on Near to monitor his progress; she had made it a personal mission to try and improve her pace so she could keep up with him, though she could never understand how he did it when he always had a veritable chest of toys to keep him company.

Today, however, his speed seemed to have decreased dramatically. His eyes had lost what little luster they had, treating the case files as an annoyance. Even the 350 Series Mechtrooper they purchased for him just two days ago stood off to the side, abandoned.

Lidner raised an eyebrow. Near not playing with his toys—if it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have been as serious.

She cleared her throat, silently rehearsing her question before it left her mouth.

"It probably isn't any of my business, but it looks like something is bothering you."

The silence in the office wavered, the computers' hum being the only thing giving her an answer. Just as she started to regret asking, Near responded.

"No, that's perfectly all right, Lidner. I appreciate your concern."

The end of the sentence was weak, as if he wanted to say something more. He picked up an object in front of him, the view of it obscured from Lidner's sight. As she leaned forward, she realized that it was the mask of L that he'd worn during the confrontation in the Yellow Box Warehouse. For a couple of minutes he stared at it blankly, holding the chin of the mask tentatively between his thumb and finger.

"Lidner…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Eleven days from now, it'll be Halloween."

"I know, sir…"

Near turned his head slightly, a signal that he wanted to say more and didn't want to be interrupted, but his eyes never left the mask, and at one point he held it up to one cheek.

"It would have been L's birthday."

Lidner's face scrunched up in surprise. Near hadn't talked about L since the Kira case, and even then it hadn't been anything as remotely personal as this.

"He never made that much of a deal about it. One's birthday, after all, is but one way for a person to obtain even more personal information about someone else, and L definitely didn't want to risk that. Of course, he also worked on his birthday most of the time. As for the rest of us raised at Wammy's House, some of us knew, some of us didn't. Some didn't care. Celebrations were far and few between at the orphanage."

Lidner's face softened. Her birthday, too, had gradually become of little importance since she began her career, but at the very least she had the memories of her childhood. She couldn't fathom such a cheerless early life.

But why did he bring up L, of all things?

"Since we confronted Light Yagami in Japan, there have been many issues and questions occupying my mind. Most of these questions are directed at L, and since we saw evidence of shinigami existing, this also left me with many hypotheses about the afterlife. It's like a puzzle with a couple of missing pieces; solving it is impossible, and rather distressing."

Guessing where Near was going with this strange conversation, Lidner decided to speak up again.

"From what you've told us about L, I'm sure he's at rest…"

Near shook his head. "That's not what's bothering me. Whatever his fate, I know L has accepted it. What concerns me is that I have questions without answers…but then I recalled the shinigami, and the possibility of an afterlife…"

Suddenly, the white-haired young man regained his resolution, a faint shine of determination coming back into his eyes. His lips thinned and he held the mask up higher.

"How many files have you gone over?"

Lidner opened her mouth, and then closed it, caught off-guard by the sudden change in topic. She glanced at her monitor.

"Twenty-three."

"After you reach forty files, I'd like you to concentrate on a new task."

Lidner nodded reluctantly. "What are my new orders?"

"I'm aware there is a game, of sorts, that will allow me to test my theory."

Near turned around completely, his eyes meeting Lidner's blue ones.

"I'd like you to obtain an Ouija board…a white one with plain black letters, and the letters 'L', 'M', and 'N' printed in Gothic font. If no such Ouija board exists, go through our usual supply channels and get one made. I'm asking for this a little early because I know this will take a while. If you cannot get one by the 30th, then I'll take a standard one from a retail store."

Lidner could barely croak out the word "Understood", she was so stunned. Near had requested a lot of strange things over time, and Ouija boards were in fact sold as a board game, but she heard the stories of people using Ouija boards irresponsibly. She always took them with a grain of salt, as her spiritual side wasn't very strong, but at the same time she didn't want to risk it. Again, she suppressed her opinion and decided to do what Near asked. If it helped him, it would be of value.

And what happened eleven days later would, without question, be priceless.

=*=*=*=

(End Part One)


	2. Answer

Title: Some Things Are Beyond Near

By: Dr. Kim-chan

Author's Note: Here's the next part! And here's where the real "fun" begins, kekeke…the last part may most likely be published the day AFTER Halloween, but it'll pretty much just be the conclusion, so…anyway, enjoy! Oh, and check out my other Death Note story, "Ronin Note"!

=*=*=*=

The extra time Near gave Lidner to retrieve his custom Ouija board was more or less a gesture of posterity. Always a point of mystery in the SPN's (and indirectly the U.S. government's) budget, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the funds needed to furnishing the headquarters itself, and yet some of Near's toys were not yet released in the stores, or needed to be created or custom-made. However, it was hardly ever any trouble; a few strings pulled, the dropping of the all-powerful detective's letter, and things were done.

By October 29th, Gevanni and Rester had also been let in to Near's plan—or half-formed plan, as Near still hadn't said what he planned to do with the Ouija board. Lidner's predictions of her coworkers' reactions when Near told them what he wanted were exactly what she imagined: Gevanni was impassive in front of Near, yet communicated his worries with Lidner in private. Rester, as the most trusted of their inner circle, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing to reveal his true thoughts.

The morning of the 30th, Roger messaged Near, saying that the Ouija board had arrived. Passing it through security, then a courier, and then sent to Lidner herself, the cardboard box arrived unharmed to the command center.

Double-checking the slip of paper and making one last check, she deemed it safe and set in on the floor in front of Near as if giving a present to a child she worried would break into a full-blown tantrum. Gevanni and Rester lingered at the back of the room, wanting to satiate their own curiosity.

Without showing any hint of excitement or happiness, Near picked at the wrapping. Lidner stepped back as the space around the young detective started to sprout shredded brown paper.

Finally, he reached the lid of the box itself, and, unceremoniously, ripped off the tape and opened it, lifting out what was inside.

Before she could stop herself, Lidner breathed a sigh of relief. As far as she could see, it was exactly to Near's specifications. Unlike the distressed wood or black or the cheap glow-in-the-dark material of most Ouija boards, the surface was as white as Near's wardrobe, shining even in the dim lighting of the command center. This further emphasized the stark black letters and words on top—a "Yes" and "No" in the upper corners, with a "Maybe" between them, and the twenty-six letters of alphabet arranged in three straight rows (or as straight as they could be given the slightly larger Gothic-font 'L', 'M', and 'N' in the second row). At the bottom was a few standard punctuation marks. In a separate packet was a matching planchette with a circular magnifying glass in the middle.

Near analyzed every inch of the board while his three subordinates held their breath. Rarely did anything upset Near, but he could be a little unbearable when he was, like a slow-moving poison in one's bloodstream.

A tense minute later, he nodded to show his approval, and everyone else could breathe again.

"Tomorrow is Halloween," he said matter-of-factly, as if this was a fact that hadn't yet been revealed to the world. "That night, at midnight, I will need everyone's assistance. I'll tell Roger to hold off on relaying any calls or sending us any new information or cases between the hours of midnight and three AM so that we won't be disturbed. Please be here on time."

Everyone affirmed their commitment to this mysterious operation, but Near wasn't done perplexing them quite yet.

"I've been conducting some personal research myself. I understand that, with most other experiments, this will carry some undetermined danger. Also, this Ouija board will not be the only thing we'll need. Commander Rester, bring five white candles in glass jars and matches."

Rester nodded.

"Gevanni, since I presume you are the most spiritual of us, I'd like you to bring an object of protection…a cross or a medallion, whatever you feel is prudent."

At this, everyone started to sweat, but Gevanni kept his composure and nodded as well.

"Lidner, I'd like you to bring sage and a fire-resistant bowl, and since this is on such short notice, you may get it by any means."

"Yes sir."

Near turned around again, his attention now fully on the Ouija board, and Lidner took the opportunity to steal a nervous glance at Gevanni and Rester.

She was only slightly surprised to see that they looked as unnerved as she did.

=*=*=*=

October 31st, 2012.

Lidner, Rester, and Gevanni were true to their word. At 11:55 PM, they returned to the command center of the SPN headquarters, eager to discover how all that they gathered would tie in with Near's 'experiment'. He had spoke of all this as if they were merely going to conduct something in the scientific realm rather than the spiritual, but then again, this was Near; he looked at everything through the glasses of logic.

Rester was the first to arrive, carrying a small box of votive candles and some matches in his muscular arms. Shortly after came Lidner, the sage and clay bowl in her possession obtained from an alternative health store not far from her apartment. Finally Gevanni entered the room. Lidner eyed his box warily, as its contents showed exactly how unsure of all this he was—a rosary, a Bible, a pewter cross, and a small plastic bottle half-full with water.

"This is strange…" Lidner muttered as she fumbled around for her keycard.

"What do you mean?" Rester asked.

"I mean Near doesn't seem like the type who believes in this kind of thing. I'm not even sure I believe in it."

"Just curiosity, I guess. I know he's our superior, but we have to remember that we're basically dealing with an extremely intelligent child."

"He's twenty years old!" Lidner hissed.

"Well, a childlike mind, I mean. Either way, we can't do much about it now. Let's just go along with what Near wants, and we'll return to work tomorrow."

"If nothing happens, that is."

Rester and Lidner froze at Gevanni's partially cynical remark, but Lidner swiped the card through the scanner, and the door opened.

The command center looked vastly different, the surroundings adjusted to aid Near's plan. A single light barely illuminated the room, all of the computers and the noisy ventilation fans turned off to eliminate further distractions. Some of the desks were pushed off to the side to create a more spacious center. Without the familiar electric hum, the air of the command center was filled with nothing but a static silence…for three seconds, at least.

"Good, you're here early."

Lidner jumped, surprised that she didn't even notice the white-clad man in the middle of the floor. He sat in his usual way, with the Ouija board in front of him.

"Let's get started. Rester, arrange the candles in a circle sixteen feet in diameter and light them. Gevanni, come sit here. Lidner, once Rester's done, light the sage in the bowl and walk around the perimeter of the circle three times. When you two are done, come sit in the middle as well."

The three scattered to different areas of the room, quickly performing their tasks as if the fate of the world depended on it. Lidner wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of the dried herb and held the bowl as far away from her face as possible, marching awkwardly around the circle three times before setting the bowl off to the side and sitting on the floor cross-legged, glad that she chose to wear a pantsuit today. The last thing Near asked was for Gevanni to turn off the last overhead light. The second he did so, the command center was no more than a dark chamber, an improvised backdrop of dark, occult matters rather than the center of operations for a covert organization.

"The sage was to protect us from any negative forces, as are the objects Gevanni brought for us. Now everyone please put your hands on the planchette, and try not to move; it'll compromise the experiment."

Near went first, then Lidner (who was surprised at how soft and malleable his hands were), then Gevanni (who was surprised at how soft Lidner's hands were), and then Rester (who was surprised at how clammy Gevanni's hands were).

"One more thing," Near cautioned. "Whatever happens, I must ask you to keep calm. If we do run into problems, Rester will extinguish the candles. The things Gevanni brought are only for a last resort."

He fell silent, closing his eyes in a rare moment of true concentration, and the three agents waited for any other instructions.

"L…L…it's me, Near…can you hear me?"

Rester, Gevanni, and Lidner all looked in different directions, trying not to draw attention to their hands. Thirty seconds passed.

Lidner's hands then nearly flew off the planchette as it began to move. She looked at everyone's arms, but no one's muscles were moving voluntary. Slowly, the circular mirror moved to 'Yes'.

"Okay. L, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for you. Can you see Mello or Matt? Are they okay?"

The planchette moved again, but only to return to 'Yes'. Lidner allowed herself a smile at this; in truth she felt closer to Mello than to Near, and she remembered that Mello had been religious, though sometimes his actions said otherwise. She wondered what he thought of his eternity...

"That's good. Next question, then…I'm sure Mello already asked you, and I've been wondering this myself. Before we left Wammy's House, Rodger said that you hadn't yet chosen who would succeed you, and then we discovered that Light Yagami had taken your place. Did you intend for him to take your place?"

This time, even the usually stone-faced Rester widened his eyes as the planchette began moving a lot faster, back and forth from letter to letter as they spelled out L's response, and Near brought it together into a coherent sentence:

"_I knew…that Light…would want to…take my place…if he was Kira. I entrusted him…with the task, but only…only to test him. As you…and Mello…found out…he gladly took the opportunity…further confirming…my…suspicions…and yours as well. I also knew…that you…and Mello…would come and reclaim…the title of 'L'. Light…was…never...meant to be…L_."

Gevanni felt exhausted just thinking back on the Kira case; the same exasperation was reflected on Lidner's face.

"But if you had the chance to choose, who would you have chosen?" Near pressed.

The planchette moved again.

"…_Is the answer…really…that…important…?_"

Near looked crestfallen, and the planchette continued moving.

"_If you really…want…an answer…I had prepared…a final test for the both…of you. However…fate…if you want…to call it…provided the perfect test. Being…removed…from the Kira affair…meant that…you and Mello…had to draw upon your own strengths. Whoever…prevailed…would take back the title…of 'L'…from Light._"

The planchette stopped, and Near was about to ask his next question when it moved again.

"_Are…you asking…because…you feel…doubt?_"

Lidner's brows furrowed. She never imagined Near to feel much of anything, let alone doubt. She thought back on the conversation on the 20th. Was it just the approach of L's birthday that had directed his mind to such thoughts, or had he just said nothing for all these years, until it became too much to bear?

Either way, Near wasn't saying anything, and the planchette moved again.

"_Intelligence…does not…necessarily…mean strength, Near. I felt…doubt, too…during the Kira case…and during another…case…_"

Lidner whipped her head back just in time to see Gevanni's shocked face, but he wasn't shocked at the answer. They both could've sworn they felt a breeze…

But weren't the ventilation fans off?

"Another case?" Near asked.

"_A while ago…I told Mello some stories…about some…past…cases I've had. One of them happened…shortly before…the Kira…_"

The planchette then made a wild detour, right from the 'A' at the end of 'Kira' to the letter 'B'.

"Kirab?" Gevanni wondered out loud. Lidner would have chuckled, even mentally, if she hadn't been so spooked by the current atmosphere.

"No," Near said. "It must mean something else…"

But the planchette kept going around in small circles, always back to 'B'.

"B…B…B…B…what does that mean, L?" Near urged.

Rester looked up as another breeze swept through the circle. "Aren't the ventilation fans off?"

Gevanni's eyes were drifting. It took a while for the other two to understand that he wanted them to follow his gaze, and Lidner looked at two of the candles in the circle…

The flames were twisting.

"Must be a draft…" Gevanni muttered, but he didn't sound very convincing.

But before Rester could recommend a way to figure out the source of the bothersome drafts, the planchette moved. The three SPN agents nearly lost their grip, it shifted so fast.

"B…e…w…a…r…e…B…e…y…o…n…d…"

"Beware Beyond?" Lidner repeated.

The next breeze, stronger than before, then blew out the candles altogether. That time, they could not attribute such a 'draft' to structural problems or tricks of the mind.

And as much as they wanted to, they also couldn't write off the maniacal laughter in the background.

Lidner violently pulled her hands out from under Gevanni's and Rester's as Near lost his grip on the planchette and fell hard on his back, gasping for breath. She rushed to his side and propped him up, mindlessly following instinct and touching his pale, throbbing neck for a normal pulse. Near's eyes…that wide, their life rapidly draining away from them…

Lidner's own blue eyes steeled, and she directed her glare to her two male colleagues.

"Anthony, blow out the damn candles! Stephen, contact Roger!"

Even with a sudden sense of urgency, Gevanni didn't shed his shocked face as he clambered up to his feet (nearly tripping over Rester in the process) and dashed over to the console. He pushed a switch labeled 'R', but no monitor light flickered.

"I'm not getting anything! Near must've shut off power in this room!"

"Damn it…Rester, take care of Near!"

Tenderly she passed Near's convulsing body to the muscular man, leaped up and started to run to the door, but something stopped her.

More laughter…a louder sound this time…

From Near's mouth.

His gasps slowed, and slowly they morphed into an unintelligible murmuring before bursting out as harsh laughter. With Near's light tone of voice, it sounded even more demonic. Rester looked conflicted, not sure whether he should keep holding Near or fling him across the room, but the situation solved itself when Near pushed himself away from the man's grip and stood up. His body swayed slightly, his head drooping, his white hair even wilder than usual. His tiny mouth was warped into a crooked grin, his eyes darker…

…And redder?

"Naomi Misora…where are you…? Naomi…Mi…so…ra….L's eyes…L's hands…L's shield…Nate River…N...L's replacement…the new L…B is L, not N…"

Gevanni was right behind him, but before he could do anything, Near swooped down, grabbed a votive candle, and smashed it onto the floor. Clutching the biggest piece of broken glass between his small fingers, Near's grin shrunk.

"B is L, not N. N is not B, and N is not L…B must destroy N…"

"STEPHEN!" Rester and Lidner bellowed.

This time, Gevanni was a little quicker on the uptake. As Near held the sharpest end of the glass piece to his own throat, he tackled Near from behind and wrestled the glass out of his hand. Near stayed on the floor, but he lifted his head, bent his neck at an awkward angle and smirked. Gevanni stepped back cautiously.

"I see the equation now. N has those who protect him. B cannot destroy N without three."

In the darkness of the command center, the broken glass glittered, and the redness in Near's eyes brightened.

"Therefore…B must subtract three…"

(End Part 2)


	3. Contact

Title: Some Things Are Beyond Near

By: Dr. Kim-chan

Author's Note: I thought this would be three parts, but now it may be a little longer; it won't be that easy to get away from Beyond…(evil smile)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Halloween (better than mine, anyway). The holiday may be over, but thanks to everyone's wonderful reviews, my motivation is still going strong. Oh, and I don't know for sure if Gevanni's actually Christian, but he seems the type to me…and it works for the story, so…(shrugs) And when I say that Beyond's speaking, I guess you can take it to mean that Beyond is speaking through Near.

Oh, and I don't own _Death Note_. Yeah, I should've mentioned that earlier…

=*=*=*=

Lidner barely made it through before Rester shut the door, using a console to lock it. Gevanni's knees buckled as he tried to catch his breath, part of his suit jacket's sleeve torn. He narrowly avoided obtaining a slashed arm when, right after he stopped Near from cutting his own throat, Near pounced on him, reclaimed the glass piece, and tried to make good on his promise of "subtracting the three". Gevanni pushed him off before he could get in a successful hit, but that was the least of their worries.

Whatever had happened, they couldn't risk using any overt force, especially their guns. There was an armory in one of the basement levels of the headquarters, specifically for emergencies, and if nothing else they could make a mad dash to it and retrieve specialized guns that could shoot rubber bullets.

But in this figured a secondary concern.

Who—or what—were they fighting?

"What the hell's going on?" Rester growled, punching the wall. Lidner stared wearily at him, propping one arm on another wall. They were now two floors up from where they originally were, and though she made it look a lot easier, running in heels was truly a skill that had to be patiently mastered.

"If I had to guess," Gevanni whispered hoarsely, "if Near truly got in contact with L's spirit, then some other spirit interfered."

"So we're fighting demons now?" Rester asked incredulously, his fear and frustration turning to anger. "How'd that happen? It's a damn board game!"

"How do you explain this, then?!" Gevanni shouted, escaping from his usual quiet demeanor and lifting his shredded sleeve. "Near wouldn't do this!"

"Beware Beyond…" Lidner whispered, mainly to herself, but this simple statement broke up the fight between their two colleagues. "Was that a warning from L, then?"

"…That sounds familiar," Rester said, getting back on his feet. Lidner suddenly felt stupid, as she didn't notice that the room they found sanctuary in was one of the many computer labs from which lower-ranked agents of the SPN could peruse the organization's extensive database.

But Rester didn't make it five feet before all of the monitors suddenly flickered on, one by one. The room—and everyone's shocked faces—became bathed in an ethereal light as the hum of cooling fans shattered the silence of the room. Gevanni reached under his jacket, and Rester was about to reprimand him for trying to shoot out the monitors, but what the younger agent took out wasn't a gun. Somehow he was able to grab the pewter cross before they escaped Near.

"In the name of the Father—"

"_I am not B._"

Gevanni dropped the cross, the sound of it clattering on the floor painful to everyone's ears. Gradually, like a wave, the desktops faded into a brilliant whiteness, with a black Gothic-font 'L' in the center.

Lidner stepped forward cautiously. "So…you're saying you're L?"

"_Yes._"

The blonde's eyes narrowed.

"Then you should know something about Near. Something only L would know."

"_A test, then. That's very good; you can never be too careful with what you cannot see. What is your question, Lidner-san?_"

"…What bothers Near the most?"

"_Those who cannot solve a puzzle, and when he cannot solve a puzzle himself, literally and figuratively. That's why he bought the Ouija board in the first place. Of course, for all his intelligence and integrity, he must learn that not all puzzles are meant to be solved. Dying has certainly taught me that lesson._"

Lidner's shoulders relaxed, and she turned to Gevanni and Rester.

"As bizarre as this looks, this is L, all right."

Gevanni breathed a sigh of relief, but Rester wasn't entirely satisfied.

"Then can you tell us what the hell's going on? Who's Beyond?"

"_I saw you were about to log on to one of these computers, but I thought it'd be better if I told you myself. A few years ago there was a serial murder in Los Angeles; I believe it's now referred to as "the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases". Usually I didn't get involved unless there were more than ten victims or a million dollars at stake, and this particular case only had three victims, but this was personal. You see, the killer was B…or rather, Beyond Birthday._"

"Beyond Birthday?" Lidner repeated.

"_I was the first success from Wammy's House, bred to be a detective meant to change the world for the better. However, Wammy—or Watari, as I called him—knew that eventually my life would be in danger, and so he continued his project, making 'backups' for me. One of them was Beyond, but his own inadequacies drove him to madness. Los Angeles was meant to be a challenge, a case even I couldn't solve. He even went so far as to try and kill himself so that there would be no existing suspect, but with the help of FBI agent Naomi Misora, he was brought to justice._"

"Naomi Misora," Rester muttered. "So that's who he was talking about…"

"_Unfortunately, though death became my rest, Beyond could not find his place, taunted by his failure. Even in the afterlife, his thoughts have constantly been on revenge…and now he's found it._"

"'N is not B, and N is not L. B must be L. N cannot be L'," Gevanni paraphrased the possessed Near. "So if he can't defeat L…he'll kill the one who replaced L."

"_I know Near had good intentions, but he provided Beyond with an escape when he used the Ouija board. As you said, Gevanni-san, Near is now possessed by Beyond, and Beyond could kill Near easily, but Near will ultimately be a greater challenge than me._"

"Why?" Rester asked.

"_Because Near—and to a degree, Mello—succeeded in the one thing I could never do: accept support on a more personal level. He may seem a little distant, but that is merely Near's personality._"

What L said next was a complete shock.

"_I can't be there to mentor Near anymore. I don't believe I did it enough when I was alive, though I hoped my work alone would be enough to serve as an example. I'll do the best I can on this end, but I'd like you three and Roger to protect him in my place._"

"We'll do our best," Lidner said automatically. Rester and Gevanni agreed enthusiastically.

"_Thank you. Now, what to do? As a spirit, Beyond has a mastery of his surroundings even while inside Near's body…_"

"Like during a demonic possession," Gevanni said.

"_Right. More troubling, however, is that Beyond can feel my manipulations as well. Even as I speak, he's already in this hallway._"

L stopped, and as if to prove his point, a quiet cackle echoed throughout the hallways outside.

"…Anthony Rester…Stephen Gevanni…Halle Lidner…N's ears, N's eyes, N's shield…we must subtract the three…"

"_Rester-san, I understand you have access to codes that will activate barriers and take control of the elevators in case of emergencies. Put Elevator B-5 on this floor, and lock down Sectors 6, 7, 9, 18, 20, and 23. Get to Elevator B-5 via the air ducts and ride it to the armory. I'll manipulate another elevator to throw Beyond off-track._ _I'll try to limit my appearances to you, but you'll receive help when you need it._"

One of the computers reverted back to its desktop. Rester understood this to be the one he was supposed to use and sat down, accessing the required programs. Lidner raised an eyebrow; more or less, the armory had been her plan exactly. Did L read her mind?

Suddenly, a slow, deliberate series of beeps barely drowned out the humming computers. Rester was too busy at the keyboard, but Lidner and Gevanni stared in shock as the console near the door began flashing green.

"_Lidner-san, the air duct._"

Fortunately, the ceiling was rather low; all Lidner had to do was climb on a desk and her heels would do the rest. With the exception of Rester's computer, all the others then shut off, sinking them into darkness.

Rester tapped the 'Enter' key.

"Let's move!"

The door slid open.

Like rocket fuel, fear and desperation launched Lidner into the air by a few extra inches. Her nails clutched the edges of the opening, pulling the rest of her body up. A muffled crash marked Rester's jump onto the desk, and his massive frame soon filled whatever space there was left in the duct. Lidner scooted back, and her view of Gevanni below disappeared.

"Stephen!" Rester shouted.

Below, Gevanni was taking slight steps back toward the open air vent, the cross in his outstretched hand his only defense against his deranged superior. The glass piece from before was still in Near's hand, the sharp end pointed at Gevanni. Lidner shivered as he gave out another wicked chuckle.

"Crosses will prove ineffective against me. I am nothing more than a wandering soul seeking absolution."

"You're evil all the same. Killing doesn't absolve you; it damns you," Gevanni whispered menacingly, taking two more steps. He was only three feet away from the desk…

"My damnation was losing to L. N cannot be L. He can never be L…"

He lunged.

Gevanni jumped on the desk, knocking the already-shaken computer monitor askew, and made a desperate grab for Rester's hand.

Up until then, Lidner didn't know what was going on, but when Rester suddenly pitched forward and Gevanni shrieked in agony, it didn't matter. Her mind blank, she shoved Rester off to the side and got a grip on Gevanni's arm, his other one busy with trying to beat off a rabid white-haired boy. Her strength multiplied when she spotted a growing bloodstain on Gevanni's shirt.

"Anthony, get back," she warned. He complied, giving her free use of the open vent. In a swift move, her leg swung out and dug a heel into Near's shoulder. Shocked, Near let go, and both agents finally pulled Gevanni into the duct, shutting the door and latching it for good measure.

"Sorry, Near," Lidner muttered, wiping strands of hair away from her eyes. Awkwardly, she moved around Rester until she was crouched in the direction of the elevators. "Let's go."

=*=*=*=*=

Three extremely uncomfortable minutes later, Lidner, Gevanni, and Rester finally reached the air duct closest to the elevator that L specified. It would have been much quicker taking the hallways, they admitted, but obviously that would have been too much of a risk; L had certainly knew that, or else he wouldn't have recommended it. It had been a tense three minutes, but a quiet three minutes, save for the occasional elbows banging against the sides of the vents and Gevanni's sharp intakes of breath. No one said anything for fear of giving their position away, but they knew Gevanni would need medical attention soon. Luckily, an emergency infirmary was located relatively close to the armory. As soon as they reached the elevators, the rest would fall into place.

Being the one in front, Lidner was automatically given the responsibility of checking for imminent danger. Peeking over her shoulder, she steeled her nerves, unlocked the latch, and ducked her head out of the opening.

Near was staring back at her.

On all fours.

_On the ceiling._

"It was rather impolite of you to kick me, Lidner...or should I say impolite to kick your boss. I hope you're ready to apologize."

Forfeiting all dignity and screaming, Lidner lifted her head and backed right up into Rester's chest before the tip of the glass piece could pierce the patch of skin between her eyes. Thin, pale fingers began groping around the edges of the vent.

"Get back to the last intersection! There's another vent there!" Rester ordered, pushing Gevanni around so that he was now the leader. They started crawling madly, with Lidner left to bring up the rear. She peeked over her shoulder, watching in terror as the fingers grew into a hand, and then two white-clad arms, and finally a fleecy head with crimson eyes smoldering below them.

"What are they afraid of, I wonder?" she heard Near whispering. "Dying or the method of death? But which method is more distressing to the human psyche? Yet another question whose answer I must pursue."

A body banged against sheet metal, signaling Near's entry into the air ducts, and then she felt something sharp slash at her ankles indiscriminately. She screamed again, this time out of pain rather than fear, and instinctively kicked at anything and everything behind her. Despite her furious offensive, she felt the lower half of her body being weighed down as Near got a hold of her torso and began roaming for a more vital area to hit. Rester and Gevanni were a good five feet away before they heard the struggle and attempted to turn around in the small space.

"Halle!" Rester called out, but she could barely hear anything, let alone concentrate, except for the sensation of Near's fingers on her jugular…

Suddenly, a new sound, louder than everything else, filled the air ducts.

Lidner barely had time to blink before a huge gust of wind rattled the air duct. She thought to brace herself, but the wind seemed to only have an effect on Near. Eyes wide, he succumbed to the airy punch in the gut, rolling to the far side of the vent before flopping around weakly, dazed and barely conscious.

"_I thought you were stronger than that, Halle. Now get moving!_"

Lidner didn't have to listen twice. Getting up to her knees, she quickly reunited with Rester and Gevanni, who had long since found the other air duct but had opted to try and rescue Lidner first. One by one they dropped back down, this time into one of the numerous hallways of the SPN headquarters. The overhead lights were off, console lights and dim sub-lighting being the only things illuminating the way. This had to have been Beyond's doing; Near wouldn't have cut off _all _the lights in the SPN. Even with most of the agents gone, the utilities were always on throughout the night.

"You all right?" Rester asked. Lidner inspected her ankles.

"Just shallow scratches," she said gruffly. "Let's get to the elevator."

The detour they had been forced to make put an extra hallway between them and the elevator, but they made it in good time. Rester pushed the button for the armory, the doors slid shut, and only then did everyone sink to the floor in a halfhearted kind of relief. Lidner stared ahead, and finally she could closely examine Gevanni's injury.

"I don't know if L will help us, but we may have to go to the infirmary before we go to the armory," she said.

"No," Gevanni consoled. "It's just a puncture wound. It was a small piece of glass, so it wasn't able to go deep enough. Besides, I'll worry about myself when we get Near back."

Rester exhaled loudly, as if to agree with Gevanni's sentiment. Lidner's eyes lowered to the floor, clearing her mind after her brush with her possessed superior. But no matter how hard she tried, one question refused to escape her.

That voice that told her to move…and that smell…just as the wind brushed past her in the air ducts…

That couldn't have been…

Chocolate?

(End Part 3)


	4. Tactics

Title: Some Things Are Beyond Near

By: Dr. Kim-chan

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I seriously didn't think this story would get as many reviews as it did, _especially _AFTER Halloween. You guys have weird timing, but I love you for it.

Yeah, Mello made it in the story! Kind of fitting that he's the more aggressive ghost, and he's one of the reasons this story got longer. And Luna Moonsurf, I also think Beyond's a little more rational than most people give him credit for, but I figured that the afterlife, plus his failure in L.A., would have broken him a bit. On the other hand, without giving anything away, remember what L said in "Another Note", about B deliberately making his murders look abnormal, and that in itself was abnormal...

And you think my story's scary? Check out this link about the Death Note Director's Cut special they aired in Japan (and look at the scary pics of Near). It's at: http (colon, backslash) community (dot) livejournal (dot) com (backslash) capslock (underscore) dn (backslash) 509563 (dot) html (just replace the parentheses with their respective punctuation; for some reason FF.N wouldn't let me write it any other way)

Anyway, this chapter is a little short, and will be _slightly _more humorous due to the appearance of yet another ghost. So onwards!

=*=*=*=*=

_Beep…beep…beep…beep…clunk!_

The elevator doors opened. This time Rester was the first to move, leaning his shoulder against the threshold to stop the doors from closing back up as he surveyed the new surroundings. Naturally, the basement levels were a little darker than the upper levels, even during the daytime, but tonight the ambiance was a liability.

So far, quiet…and blinking lights?

One by one, an overhead light would turn on, then the one after it, and the previous one then died again. It was the electrical equivalent of dropping breadcrumbs.

Lidner wrinkled her nose as she smelled chocolate again…and cigarettes?

"_If it's getting inside you're worried about, don't_," a gruff voice said, startling Rester. "_Just follow the lights._"

To their relief, nothing but the intermittent buzzing of live wires followed them to the reinforced doors. The console automatically lit up—and at this point the cigarette smoke got stronger—and the doors unlocked and slid open, granting them entry.

Rester hadn't felt so reassured since before this hellish night began. Spiritual warfare he couldn't comprehend (at least not as much as Gevanni) but here…actual, tangible weapons they could use to defend themselves—and not mortally wound Near in the process.

"L!" Gevanni called out. "Are you here?"

The lights flickered, turned off, and then a series of bulbs lit up, making an arrangement that looked like a capital 'M'.

"_L's not here right now; he's getting back his strength. You'd think turning on a bunch of computers and an elevator would be easy for a ghost, but manifestations are harder than they look._"

The voice was a little low, scratchy from…well, Lidner could only assume that it was from spending so much time smoking in their lifetime.

"Who is this?" she asked nervously.

"_Call me Matt_," the voice said, with a little laugh. "_Mello's right-hand man, third at Wammy's House after him and Near. I wasn't as close to Near or L, but this Beyond's definitely a loony…and of course, wherever Mel goes, I go._"

"So what do we do now?" Rester asked.

"_Just grab whatever non-lethal weapons you can carry and get back to the elevator._"

As Matt's voice faded, the three split up, surveying racks and compartments for whatever they needed. Slinging a belt around his waist, Rester armed himself with flash and smoke grenades. Lidner opted for a taser and a LED incapacitator, while Gevanni picked up a net gun and another taser. All of them also holstered handguns loaded with rubber bullets. Lidner still wasn't sure this would be enough, but as she cradled the LED incapacitator in her left hand, she felt a lot more powerful.

Following Matt's instructions to the letter, they then left (the doors closing and locking behind them) and returned to the elevator bank. The cigarette smell returned, and the elevator automatically chose a floor for them.

Back to the command center.

Where this whole nightmare started.

=*=*=*=*=

However, three floors before they reached their intended destination, the whispering started.

"_Help me…_"

Gevanni lifted his head abruptly, his brows furrowed, as the small, childlike voice. Rester must have been thinking hard, or wasn't listening, but the whispering gradually grew louder.

Lidner's eyes widened. They knew that voice all too well.

"Near!" she yelled, turning around to search for the source of the noise in the cramped space. "Near! Where are you?!"

However, the only answer she received was the same—"Help me".

"Near's spirit must have gotten trapped somewhere when Beyond forced himself into his body," Gevanni guessed. "He's probably trying to find his way back, but Beyond's most likely blocking him."

"Where is he, then?" Lidner demanded.

"…I don't know."

Just as the sentence left the young man's mouth, the elevator suddenly jolted, knocking everyone inside to their feet. The lights in the ceiling and the console power blinked furiously before shutting off completely. The cigarette odor dissipated.

"Matt?" Rester called out, but there was no reply, save for the distant, repetitive chorus of Near's feeble voice.

And the sound of scratching above them.

Gevanni cocked his gun and stared up at the panel in the ceiling leading up to the elevator shaft, but as soon as he did, it stopped.

Silence.

Scratching.

Silence.

_Bang!_

The elevator suddenly came to life again, but now it was going back down. The smells in the elevator were overwhelming—the chocolate scent of Mello, the cigarette smoke of Matt, and now whipped cream and strawberries.

"Ergh. Smells like that bakery I used to go to in Queens," Lidner remarked brusquely, waving her hand in front of her face.

"_Hey, if I recall, your 'perfume' wasn't a walk in the park either_," Mello retorted.

"What happened to the elevator?" Rester asked.

"…_We've been set up_," L said abruptly, the slightest tinge of anger in his voice.

"Set up? By Beyond?"

"_Neither Mello, Matt, or I haven't recovered all of our strength back, which I'm 93 percent sure will be a huge disadvantage. You have to go to the power room immediately, before it's too late._"

"What are you talking about? Too late? Where's Near?!" Gevanni demanded.

"_Just a minute ago…did any of you feel a change in the air?_" Matt asked.

"You mean that chill?"

"_It wasn't a chill; it was electromagnetic distortion, one of a ghost's worst enemies. The most tenacious ghosts can actually use this to their advantage, but get it at the right frequency, and a ghost can't maintain their presence._"

"…Wait. Can't we use that to defeat Beyond?"

An uneasy silence.

"_I said the most tenacious ghosts could use that to their advantage. Obviously Beyond's more than tenacious. And we're not exactly alive, either, you know. That means we go as well..._"

At that moment, if a light bulb could have literally appeared over Lidner's head and blinked on, it would have.

"…That's what he meant."

Rester looked at her. "Meant what?"

"…'B must subtract the three'…"

"…_Yes, Lidner-san_," L affirmed."_He already knew we would try and interfere if he tried to manipulate Near. But you were thrown off, only because you didn't know we would come and try to help before—'three' could have just as well meant the three closest to him. He further took advantage of this by intentionally terrorizing you, forcing us to temporarily change priorities and for us to use my power prematurely._"

"_Don't take that the wrong way_," Mello said coolly. "_We would've came regardless of Beyond's intentions. We're not nearly as depraved as him, and we couldn't take any chances of him killing you._"

"But the way you said it, it sounds like he never had any intention to kill us," Rester said.

"_Whether you lived through this night or died…it didn't matter to him. His ultimate goal was to have no more opposition in the spiritual realm, and then, just as he did in the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, he would voluntary expel himself from Near's body by changing the frequency in the building._"

"…And what about Near?" Gevanni asked, repeating the question Matt ignored.

"…_Near is fading_," Mello said simply.

"Fading?"

"_It is not Near's time, and yet he had been forced out of his body. If it is not a peaceful, controlled transition—or at the very least a gradual one—it is very traumatic, and Near is already spiritually and physically weak. And just because Beyond will leave Near's body doesn't mean Near will be able to find his way back…not without our help, and with the change in frequency, we won't be able to reach him…_"

L stopped, a little longer than last time. Lidner looked up, almost expecting to see the late detective with a look of anguish on his face.

"…_Near will die before his time._"

(End Part 4)


	5. Absolution

Title: Some Things Are Beyond Near

By: Dr. Kim-chan

Author's Note: Okay guys, eleven days after Halloween, we're finally at the final part! (hears groans of disappointment) Oh, don't get so down; I plan on starting more Death Note-related stuff. In fact, TheRecorder, you inspired me! "Bakery Boys"…watch out for that. (winks) Also, look out for "Death in the Shell" (a Ghost in the Shell/Death Note crossover), "MNM Is Not a Candy", "Requiem for Secondhand Smoke" (a Matt-centric fic), and the Edo-period fic that's already in progress, "Ronin Note" (though probably not in that particular order, and probably not all at once). What do you know? What started out as a little Halloween thing stimulated my creativity and my fangirl-ism! Thanks, everyone, for your reviews and kind words!

(BTW, did anyone notice that the acronym of the title of the story makes "STAB'N"? (shudders) Creepy...I SO didn't plan that, I swear!)

So I left you at the biggest cliffhanger last time. How will our favorite agents get through the night? Find out in the exciting conclusion!

=*=*=*=*=

Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest, the echoes of the beats reached her ears. Her adrenaline pumped through her system, her blood flowing so fast through her bloodstream she could've mistaken that as the cause for the heat of her skin. This sound, these sensations…they were nothing new to Lidner. After many close calls in her career, including her stint in the ever-stressful Secret Service, she had long since become used to the pressure she put on her body and mind.

But this was different.

Her, Gevanni, and Rester...they weren't facing down assassination plots, terrorists, or even Kira. It was something they couldn't see, and a simple adjustment of electromagnetic frequency would determine this battle in a matter of minutes.

Most importantly, they risked losing Near.

Lidner cursed herself under her breath for actually listening to him a week ago. How could a board game have caused all this?

L, Mello, and Matt had lingered long enough to get them down to the power room's respective floor, and then the scents had vanished. Shortly after, they noticed a change in the atmosphere, along with the flickering lights, designating an adjustment in the electromagnetic frequency. This left the three agents with an empty sensation in their stomachs that they've rarely felt before…

But Lidner wasn't going to give up that easily. L was counting on them to protect his protégé, and as was the maxim when he was alive, no detective or agent in their right mind let L down.

Like the armory, the power room was protected by double doors, with a console for agents' key cards and manual code input. However, when Rester tried both methods, the grating buzz of refusal and an angry red light flashed back at him.

"_Henh henh henh…_"

Lidner's ears perked up at the villainous laugh taunting them from behind the doors. No doubt that was Beyond, executing the final phase of his plan.

She grit her teeth.

"Get back," Lidner growled. "Gevanni, get out your taser."

While Rester stepped back, Gevanni stepped forward, taser in an outstretched hand, and on Lidner's signal they pressed their triggers. Electrodes sending 100,000 volts found their mark, briefly overwhelming the console. Lights and sparks flashed everywhere for all of five seconds before the electrodes retracted.

"Try it again."

Rester slashed his key card through again, and this time it worked. The doors barely opened wide enough before the three agents rushed in.

What met them was a discouraging maze of metal pipes, generators, wiring, and metal boxes. No sight of a white-clad young man anywhere.

"Near! Beyond!" Lidner yelled.

"_Henh, henh, henh…_"

"We have to shut off the power to the whole building," Rester said. "Anybody know where the master switch is?"

"Forget the switch."

Still incensed and high on adrenaline, Lidner stalked over to the nearest switchbox, threw open the door, and delivered another 50,000 volts to every key, lever, and button on the panel. A shower of white sparks greater than the first blanketed the floor, every ceiling light in both the room and out in the hallway blinking furiously.

A final dying hum, and the entire headquarters was plunged into darkness.

"Couldn't have found a safer way?" Rester growled.

"Proper procedure is the _last _thing on my mind right now!" Lidner shouted back. "Now split up."

Rester may have been second-in-command, but Lidner had a point; Near had to be their first priority. Besides, it wasn't too wise to further infuriate a former Secret Service agent.

The three immediately took different directions, using sharp eyes to look out for anything out of the ordinary, or if Beyond would stick around long enough to try one final attack to shake them off his trail. At the very least, the electromagnetic frequency had normalized.

The only question was if they'd come in time.

Lidner lifted her feet over a couple of bars, taser still in her clutches, when she got her answer.

"_Halle! Anthony!_"

Nearly tripping over her own feet trying to turn back, she and Rester stumbled through the enclosed space, following Gevanni's voice until they found him on his knees in an alcove nestled between two industrial-sized generators.

Lying in his lap was an unconscious Near.

Lidner rushed to his side as Gevanni fervently checked for a pulse, both in his neck and the boy's thin wrist.

"It's very weak. He's cold, too," he said, his voice on the verge of breaking. "He's probably been here for at least ten minutes."

Cursing vehemently under her breath, in an act of duty and desperation, Lidner leaned further in to Near's face and administered CPR, one of the most basic but vital skills someone in her line of work had to learn. Gevanni continued to hold on to Near's wrist as this went on for four minutes, with intermittent thumping on Near's chest, but with every second, his lips grew colder and colder…

Lidner lifted her head, the wild look in her eye resembling a grieving mother.

Gevanni looked down at his hand, still on the wrist, fingers twitching, face blank, until he reluctantly released it.

"Near!" Rester called, fists clenched. No answer…except…

"_B has surpassed both N and L…N couldn't be L, and L couldn't be B. If you subtract the three, following logic, there is no B, but there is also no N. There will be no more Ls here, not even me, but that is exactly why I surpass L. If there is no L to surpass, B is finally free…_"

"Get back here, Beyond!" Lidner screamed, shooting up to her feet.

"…_Henh henh henh…henh henh henh…_"

For the briefest of seconds, their noses were assaulted by the metallic scent of blood mingled with strawberries, and then it disappeared.

As suddenly as it came back, Lidner's strength finally gave out, and she dropped back to her knees, fighting back tears, her ears straining to hear a breath that never passed Near's lips.

"_NEAR!_"

That was the last thing she remembered before she collapsed.

=*=*=*=*=

The view of New York City in the autumn was no different than any other season, though the weather was an entirely separate issue.

On the roof of the SPN headquarters, Lidner surveyed the tangle of skyscrapers and streets, crossing her arms in a vain attempt to shield herself from the cold, when those memories more than a year old returned.

Yet again, Halloween was approaching, but certainly it would be a lot less eventful than what happened before.

And for once, Lidner appreciated the safety of routine.

"Lidner."

Hearing her name being called, she turned around to find Near in a rare stance of standing, next to the open door leading to the access stairs.

"British intelligence has confirmed that the suspects in the Martins arms smuggling case have successfully entered the country and are planning to make contact with their black market buyers. Since Rester is busy, I will be going with Roger, and I am entrusting you and Gevanni with heading operations here."

"Understood, sir."

Near lingered, looking as if he wanted to say something else yet again, but this time he didn't decide to act on it, instead tottering back down the stairs. At the same time, Lidner had struggled to bite her own tongue—he came out without any sort of coat or jacket, for one thing, but in the end, Near was her boss, not a son.

But was a sense of duty truly behind the range of emotions she expressed that night?

After finding Near crossing death's door in the power room, her memory was an extended period of darkness, mixed with a strange sense that her soul had been separate from her body. The next thing she remembered, both she and Near were in the infirmary.

As long and hard as she stared at the city skyline, nothing would erase that look in Near's eyes from her mind as he lay on that paper-lined bed. Whatever Near had seen in the afterlife after Beyond forced him out of his body, it had all been reflected in his eyes.

Fear…

Grief…

Regret…

_He may seem a little distant, but that is merely Near's personality…_

L's words reoccurred in her mind. Near had been called many things, among them an unemotional automaton who was no better than the toy robots he played with, but it was completely untrue. That had been proven even before that Halloween night. Near showed glee when Light Yagami fell deeper into his intricate traps, anger when the world began to accept both a false god and a false L, regret and vengeance when he recalled how L had somehow died by Kira...

Now, no one spoke of that night. The Ouija board had been promptly destroyed on Near's command (a bit of a waste considering what it cost to get it, Lidner thought in hindsight, but nothing had been worth _that _hell), and whenever anyone asked, it was written off as an electrical glitch, a suspected infiltration, whatever they could say to make the question go away.

The only other strange incident that happened was two days later, when, as Lidner got out of the shower at her home, a note was smeared into the steam on her bathroom mirror, saying "_Thank you – M, M, L_". Upon further investigation, she discovered that similar cases had happened to Rester and Gevanni.

But even after all that, there still remained the greatest questions of all.

Why couldn't Lidner remember what happened after Beyond Birthday banished himself? And how did Near return, given that L, Mello, and Matt had been too weak?

Rester and Gevanni had been surprisingly tight-lipped about that, but after deep consideration Lidner stopped caring. L had said that some puzzles weren't meant to be solved, and that applied to everyone, not just Near.

Still…a name came to mind, resurfacing over and over again.

Lidner uncrossed her arms, remembering that she had to see Near off and assume command of the headquarters before he took off for Britain, and started walking towards the stairs. At the last second, however, she suddenly turned back around, looking up at the cloud-choked sky. Something had hit her on the head.

Snowflakes?

_N cannot be L, and N cannot be B._

But—she couldn't help asking—exactly which N had Beyond been referring to?

Lidner smiled.

"Thank you…Naomi."

(End)


End file.
